Tuesday, November 11, 2008

I often wonder if it's just us, or if everyone else's desk/computer area is as chaotic and ridiculously cluttered as ours is. Seriously, the piles of papers are a foot high, the drawers barely shut (a few don't even open anymore), and there are scads of random items on the desk like embroidery hoops, breast pads (used), and sticky coffee spoons--not to mention all the usual office affiliated stuff.That's just the desk. The bulletin board is an accident waiting to happen; propped up on the filing cabinet, every square centimeter covered with papers, it is so top heavy it threatens to fall forward with every added note.Sigh. There's no chance of organization coming to this office anytime soon.

Still, that doesn't mean that this blog has to follow suit! My notebook has been filling up with juicy tidbits to share with you all and so consider this as my online bulletin posting, updating you on a few totally random things. We'll be back to our usual programming right after these messages.

Top Chef:My absolute favorite TV show starts tomorrow! If you've never watched a season of Top Chef, what are you waiting for?? This show makes Hell's Kitchen look like a B movie. The contestants are already full-blown chefs and the creativity in their dishes is inspiring.Season Five is in New York City and we can only hope for plenty of screen time for Tony Bourdain and far less for Rocco.

Warning: fix yourself a snack before sitting down to watch as it will make you hungry, nay, ravenous.

Started Solids 201:Mateo has been eating solids for a few months now and I haven't mentioned it for fear of jinxing the good start we have had. By now it's pretty obvious that this guy is a little gourmand in the making as he eats everything and appears to have food on the brain at all time. Hmm, I wonder where he gets that from!!? I couldn't be more thrilled with his enthusiasm for anything I put in front of him, as Noah gave me so much trouble in this department.

UtHC's Sister Connection:

Have I mentioned yet that I have a sister blog? Or rather, my sister has a blog now. Titled "Life Above the 50th", Haidi's rural blog journals country life after her young family's life-changing move from New Mexico, USA, to Northern British Columbia, Canada. Her ambitious plans (growing their own food, homeschooling, butchering a bison) make my little projects (jam swap, kitchen garden) look like child's play. Oh, and did I mention that she's pregnant?We are cut from the same cloth, and so although the blog is mainly an overview of family life on the farm, there are plenty of food-related posts to keep a foodie coming back for more! Allow me to at least steer you in the direction of her first pig butchering experience, complete with rendering the fat and smoking the bacon. Mmm, bacon.She's new to the whole blogging world, (do you remember what that was like?) so give her a warm welcome.

A Winning Streak:

By sheer luck I managed to win not one, not two, but three giveaways on blogs in the last few weeks. Seriously, if I played the lottery, I would have been in line for a ticket.

The first win was this absolutely precious Re-Ment food miniature from the lovely Michele over at Fine Furious Life:

This darling little cake stand set has enchanted me from the moment I laid eyes on it--and as you can see, Noah can hardly keep his hands off if it. Is this the beginning of a collection?? It just might be. As the recipient of Michele's giveaway, I also received a mini BBQ set, complete with a partially seared steak, tongs, and -oh yay!- a recipe for BBQ sauce. Gonna tuck that one away somewhere safe.Thanks, Michele!(For those of you who are wondering, you can purchase your own Re-Ment miniatures online at Toy Toyko.)

The second and third giveaways were won almost simultaneously --- and for the same item. Huh? This little book has been popping up all over the place on blogs, but I was still hugely surprised to be notified by both Cookie Baker Lynn and My Cake Wardrobe in the same day and told I had won Confetti Cakes for Kids their book giveaway.I was quick to notify them of my address and I now am awaiting the books in the mail!

Now before you go off on a 'How greedy is that' tangent, let me just say that of course I won't be keeping both books to myself. I believe in 'Paying it Forward' and have plans for a little giveaway of my own...at my upcoming Christmas Cookie Swap!Thanks so much, Lynn and cakewardrobe! I think I qualify to have this book--I am looking ahead at many years of making cakes for my kids and this will help a lot!

Award Accolades:

Many thanks to culinarywannabe and Abigail for bestowing this Kreativ Blogger Award on me recently! I am thrilled that you consider Under the High Chair to have a spark of creativity and much encouraged. Also it is an honour to be listed with such royal company as Sugar Plum and My Sweet and Saucy.Merci, ladies!

Yay, I'm glad you like the minis. There's something to this idea of karma...a few days after I sent off your package, I won Amy Sedaris's sarcastic hospitality book, which includes actual recipes intended for (not containing) rabbits!

Do you really like Top Chef? I loved seasons 1 and 2 but then it all got a little crazy for me--more contestants, more hair, more sensationalist editing. I do like Padma's clothes, though.

you should see my desk: sippy cup with day old smoothie, wine glass, yesterdays coffee cup from starbucks, bag of halloween candy, bills, 3 phones, screwdriver, breakfast plate, 3 broken toys, bag of change, tub of crayola modeling clay, piles of papers... and that isnt even all of it.

Finally blogger lets me comment!At least lets hope it lets me comment... I thought you'd barred me. I shall hop over to your sister now. I remember the new blogger feeling so well. I'm absent so often now that I feel like a new blogger every time I write something.. he he!